1. SUMMARY: OUR POLICY OF NOT OFFERING AMMUNITION FROM
EXCESS US STOCKS THROUGH THE MIMEX PROGRAM TO THE URUGUAYAN
ARMED FORCES IS REVIEWED. ACTION REQUESTED: WE
REQUEST THE DEPARTMENT' S VIEWS AND GUIDANCE ON THIS MATTER.
END SUMMARY
2. AS THE DEPARTMENT IS AWARE, IT HAS BEEN THIS MISSION' S
POLICY SINCE LATE 1969, NOT TO MAKE MIMEX OFFERS OF EXCESS
TRAINING AMMUNITION TO THE URUGUAYAN ARMED FORCES, BUT RATHER
INSIST THAT NECESSARY AMMUNITION STOCKS BE PURCHASED BY THEM.
THIS POLICY WAS ESTABLISHED BY AMBASSADOR ADAIR WITH THE
DEPARTMENT' S CONCURRENCE AND WAS DESIGNED TO LESSEN THE
POSSIBILITY THAT MARXIST AND OTHER OPPOSITION ELEMENTS HERE
COULD CHARGE THE USG WITH PROVIDING THE GOU AMMUNITION TO
" KILL OTHER URUGUAYANS", IN CIVIL DISORDERS. EXCEPTIONS
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 MONTEV 01109 120031 Z
TO THIS POLICY WERE APPROVED IN MID-1972 WHEN THE GREATLY
INCREASED ACTIVITIES OF THE ARMED FORCES IN INTERNAL SECURITY
CAUSED AMMUNITION STOCKS TO FALL TO A CRITICAL POINT. THESE
EXCEPTIONS WERE GRANTED ON THE BASIS OF WRITTEN ASSURANCES
FROM THE RESPECTIVE SERVICES THAT SUCH AMMUNITION AS PROVIDED
FROM EXCESS STOCKS WOULD BE UTILIZED FOR TRAINING ONLY.
3. DESPITE AMMUNITIONPROVIDED UNDER LAST YEAR' S " EXCEPTIONS",
THE GREATLY INCREASED TRAINING REQUIREMENTS OF THE URUGUAYAN
ARMED FORCES, PRINCIPALLY THE ARMY, HAVE AGAIN CREATED SERIOUS
SHORTAGES IN CERTAIN AMMUNITION STOCKS. TO MEET THESE SHORTAGES
THE GOU SOUGHT ( AND RECEIVED) APPROVAL FROM THE DEPARTMENT IN
FEBRUARY FOR THE PURCHASE OF APPROXIMATELY ELEVEN MILLION ROUNDS
OF ASSORTED .30 AND .45 CALIBRE AMMUNTION. HOWEVER, ARMED
FORCES NOW WANTS TO COMPLEMENT THIS AMMUNITION PURCHASE THROUGH
MIMEX. S THE RESULT OF RECENT EVENTS HERE WHICH GIVE OUR
MILITARY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM A SPECIAL POLITICAL SENSITIVITY THE
GVV DESIRE FOR MIMEX AMMUNITION HAS LED US TO REVIEW THIS POLICY.
4. URUGUAYAN MILITARY PROBABLY AWARE THAT OTHER COUNTRIES IN
THIS AREA RECEIVE EXCESS AMMUNITION UNDER MIMEX PROGRAM. POINT
IS MADE THAT GOU WILL UTILIZE FMS CREDITS
FOR THE PURCHASE OF APPROXIMATELY SIX MILLION ROUNDS OF
AMMUNITION DUE HERE DURING THE ANNUAL FALL VISIT OF THE
U. S. MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND AMMUNITION SHIP. GOU
FINANCIAL RESOURCES ARELIMITED AND CONCERN IS EXPRESSED
THAT LARGE- SCALE AMMUNTION PURCHASES WILL UTILIZE CREDITS
AND/ OR DOLLAR RESERVES FOR OTHER THAN CAPITAL ITEMS WHICH
HAVE A LONGER LIFE- SPAN. URUGUAYAN MILITARY BELIEVE THE
MIMEX PROGRAM SHOULD BE UTILIZED, AS IT IS IN OTHER COUNTRIES,
TO MAKE UP THE SHORTFALL BETWEEN THEIR PURCHASES AND THEIR
BASIC TRINING REQUIREMENTS. SIGNS OF SOME IRRITATION ABOUT
THEIR INABILITY TO USE THE MIMEX ROUTE HAVE ALREADY APPEARED.
URUGUAYAN MILITARY ARE SUPER- SENSITIVE IN EQUATING UNAVAILABLY
MORE MIMEX AMMUNITION WITH SOME LATENT SUSPICIONS THAT THE
USG OPPOSES THE NEW ROLE WHICH THE URUGUAYAN ARMED FORCES HAVE
ASSUMED IN URUGUAY.
5. WE WOULD OPPOSE EFFORTS TO " FORCE" US TO ASSIST THE MILITARY
IN RETURN FOR THEIR " GOOD WILL". HOWEVER, WE ARE SMPATHETIC
TO THEIR DESIRE TO GET THE MOST OUT OF LIMITED DEFENSE FUNDS.
SOME COUNTRY TEAM MEMBERS CONSIDER IT DEBATABLE WHETHER OR
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 MONTEV 01109 120031 Z
NOT A POLICY OF " RETAILING" AMMUNITION ( UNDER CASH SALESOR
FMS CREDITS), INSTEAD OF " WHOLSESALING" SUCH AMMUNITION UNDER
MIMEX, REALLY PROTECTS THE USG FROMOPPOSITION ELEMENTS WHO
SEEK TO CLAIM THAT MAP REPRESENTS U. S. AID TO " REPRESSION".
A FURTHER POINT IS FACTOR THAT US IS THE ORIGIN OF ALL
WEAPONS WHICH WILL USE AMMUNTION.
6. IN SUMMARY, WE RECOMMEND DEPARTMENT CONCUR IN THE RE-
SUMPTION OF A MODEST MIMEX TCBINING AMMUNITION PROGRAM HERE
TO COMPLEMENT THE GOU
E E E E E E E E
*** Current Handling Restrictions *** LIMDIS
*** Current Classification *** CONFIDENTIAL

Raw content

CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01 MONTEV 01109 120031 Z
14
ACTION ARA-08
INFO OCT-01 SS-14 ADP-00 PM-03 DODE-00 MC-02 INR-09 CIAE-00
NSAE-00 NSCE-00 NSC-10 L-02 TRSE-00 AID-10 RSR-01
RSC-01 /061 W
--------------------- 044918
R 111943 Z APR 73
FM AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4206
INFO USCINSO
C O N F I D E N T I A L MONTEVIDEO 1109
LIMDIS- NOFORN
E. O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: MASS, UY , US
SUBJ: EXCESS TRAINING AMMUNITION FOR THE URUGUAYAN ARMED FORCES
CINCSO FOR POLAD
REF: MVD 453; STATE 028424
1. SUMMARY: OUR POLICY OF NOT OFFERING AMMUNITION FROM
EXCESS US STOCKS THROUGH THE MIMEX PROGRAM TO THE URUGUAYAN
ARMED FORCES IS REVIEWED. ACTION REQUESTED: WE
REQUEST THE DEPARTMENT' S VIEWS AND GUIDANCE ON THIS MATTER.
END SUMMARY
2. AS THE DEPARTMENT IS AWARE, IT HAS BEEN THIS MISSION' S
POLICY SINCE LATE 1969, NOT TO MAKE MIMEX OFFERS OF EXCESS
TRAINING AMMUNITION TO THE URUGUAYAN ARMED FORCES, BUT RATHER
INSIST THAT NECESSARY AMMUNITION STOCKS BE PURCHASED BY THEM.
THIS POLICY WAS ESTABLISHED BY AMBASSADOR ADAIR WITH THE
DEPARTMENT' S CONCURRENCE AND WAS DESIGNED TO LESSEN THE
POSSIBILITY THAT MARXIST AND OTHER OPPOSITION ELEMENTS HERE
COULD CHARGE THE USG WITH PROVIDING THE GOU AMMUNITION TO
" KILL OTHER URUGUAYANS", IN CIVIL DISORDERS. EXCEPTIONS
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 MONTEV 01109 120031 Z
TO THIS POLICY WERE APPROVED IN MID-1972 WHEN THE GREATLY
INCREASED ACTIVITIES OF THE ARMED FORCES IN INTERNAL SECURITY
CAUSED AMMUNITION STOCKS TO FALL TO A CRITICAL POINT. THESE
EXCEPTIONS WERE GRANTED ON THE BASIS OF WRITTEN ASSURANCES
FROM THE RESPECTIVE SERVICES THAT SUCH AMMUNITION AS PROVIDED
FROM EXCESS STOCKS WOULD BE UTILIZED FOR TRAINING ONLY.
3. DESPITE AMMUNITIONPROVIDED UNDER LAST YEAR' S " EXCEPTIONS",
THE GREATLY INCREASED TRAINING REQUIREMENTS OF THE URUGUAYAN
ARMED FORCES, PRINCIPALLY THE ARMY, HAVE AGAIN CREATED SERIOUS
SHORTAGES IN CERTAIN AMMUNITION STOCKS. TO MEET THESE SHORTAGES
THE GOU SOUGHT ( AND RECEIVED) APPROVAL FROM THE DEPARTMENT IN
FEBRUARY FOR THE PURCHASE OF APPROXIMATELY ELEVEN MILLION ROUNDS
OF ASSORTED .30 AND .45 CALIBRE AMMUNTION. HOWEVER, ARMED
FORCES NOW WANTS TO COMPLEMENT THIS AMMUNITION PURCHASE THROUGH
MIMEX. S THE RESULT OF RECENT EVENTS HERE WHICH GIVE OUR
MILITARY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM A SPECIAL POLITICAL SENSITIVITY THE
GVV DESIRE FOR MIMEX AMMUNITION HAS LED US TO REVIEW THIS POLICY.
4. URUGUAYAN MILITARY PROBABLY AWARE THAT OTHER COUNTRIES IN
THIS AREA RECEIVE EXCESS AMMUNITION UNDER MIMEX PROGRAM. POINT
IS MADE THAT GOU WILL UTILIZE FMS CREDITS
FOR THE PURCHASE OF APPROXIMATELY SIX MILLION ROUNDS OF
AMMUNITION DUE HERE DURING THE ANNUAL FALL VISIT OF THE
U. S. MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND AMMUNITION SHIP. GOU
FINANCIAL RESOURCES ARELIMITED AND CONCERN IS EXPRESSED
THAT LARGE- SCALE AMMUNTION PURCHASES WILL UTILIZE CREDITS
AND/ OR DOLLAR RESERVES FOR OTHER THAN CAPITAL ITEMS WHICH
HAVE A LONGER LIFE- SPAN. URUGUAYAN MILITARY BELIEVE THE
MIMEX PROGRAM SHOULD BE UTILIZED, AS IT IS IN OTHER COUNTRIES,
TO MAKE UP THE SHORTFALL BETWEEN THEIR PURCHASES AND THEIR
BASIC TRINING REQUIREMENTS. SIGNS OF SOME IRRITATION ABOUT
THEIR INABILITY TO USE THE MIMEX ROUTE HAVE ALREADY APPEARED.
URUGUAYAN MILITARY ARE SUPER- SENSITIVE IN EQUATING UNAVAILABLY
MORE MIMEX AMMUNITION WITH SOME LATENT SUSPICIONS THAT THE
USG OPPOSES THE NEW ROLE WHICH THE URUGUAYAN ARMED FORCES HAVE
ASSUMED IN URUGUAY.
5. WE WOULD OPPOSE EFFORTS TO " FORCE" US TO ASSIST THE MILITARY
IN RETURN FOR THEIR " GOOD WILL". HOWEVER, WE ARE SMPATHETIC
TO THEIR DESIRE TO GET THE MOST OUT OF LIMITED DEFENSE FUNDS.
SOME COUNTRY TEAM MEMBERS CONSIDER IT DEBATABLE WHETHER OR
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 MONTEV 01109 120031 Z
NOT A POLICY OF " RETAILING" AMMUNITION ( UNDER CASH SALESOR
FMS CREDITS), INSTEAD OF " WHOLSESALING" SUCH AMMUNITION UNDER
MIMEX, REALLY PROTECTS THE USG FROMOPPOSITION ELEMENTS WHO
SEEK TO CLAIM THAT MAP REPRESENTS U. S. AID TO " REPRESSION".
A FURTHER POINT IS FACTOR THAT US IS THE ORIGIN OF ALL
WEAPONS WHICH WILL USE AMMUNTION.
6. IN SUMMARY, WE RECOMMEND DEPARTMENT CONCUR IN THE RE-
SUMPTION OF A MODEST MIMEX TCBINING AMMUNITION PROGRAM HERE
TO COMPLEMENT THE GOU
E E E E E E E E
*** Current Handling Restrictions *** LIMDIS
*** Current Classification *** CONFIDENTIAL